Safety and alarm apparatus



P 19,1950 Y A. A. -T6RR1$1 2,522,850

' SAFETY AND APPARATUS Fil ed June 1a, 1948 21 HATmcg 71 73 UNIT 0 72 NVENTOR 24 ANTIIOIWAJORRE] HM ii-M ATTORNEY apparent in the drawings.

ranged to protect the interior wiring from dust.

Patented Sept. 19, 1950 SAFETY AND ALARM APPARATUS Anthony A. Torrisi, Lawrence, Mass, assignor to The Therm Alarm Company, Inc., Lawrence, Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Application June is, 1948, Serial No 33,842

1 "Claim. .1

This invention relates to a combined safety device, auditory fire alarm and electric wire junction box for the type of space heating apparatus controlled and operated by an electric circuit.

At present it is customary to use and in fact it is usually required by fire underwriters rules to use, with every electrically operated space heating device such as an oil burner, a fusible plug which upon being subjected to a predetermined heat will melt and break or open the circuit to the fuel feeding motor. Such plugs are often incorrectly termed thermostats in the trade, but do not have the automatic resetting feature of the actual thermostat. Once melted they do not restore the circuit, upon cooling of the room,

but must be discarded and completely replaced to be ready for another operation.

I use a thermostat which automatically resets itself at a temperature such as zero degrees and preferably of the Klixon type, consisting of a wafer of metal to which the contact arm of a two way electric switch is attached. I provide a normally closed circuit, including the contact arm, from a source of power to the heating apparatus.

I also provide a normally open circuit, including the same contact arm, from the source of power to an electric horn or buzzer, which I call an auditory alarm or signal. I

I enclose my thermostat, electric switch and electric auditory signal in a single container and combine therewith an electric wire junction box, all in a new and useful combination as will be My container is arand soot and to insulate the parts from excessive heat and at the same time affords ready access to the electric connections when desired. Within the container I provide a partition adapted to keep the thermostat, switch and signal device enclosed and proof against dust and soot, when the door of the wire junction compartment is opened for repairs or inspection.

I also provide a removable panel, upon which the thermostat, switch and signal are mounted as a unit, including the partition mentioned in the preceding paragraph, which panel can be slid out of the container, reversed and the delicate fixtures thereon repaired or inspected when necessary without detaching the wiring.

With this novel arrangement I avoid the danger of damage by means of an electricians screwdriver or pliers as he connects up the wire junctions in the lower part of the container. In installing the device, he can merely remove the lower panel and do his work while the delicate,

3 ill) 2 factory adjusted thermostat is protected from accidental injury.

My new fire alarm is preferably located above the furnace in the fire room in order that excess-- sive heat will rise and affect the thermostat before damage is accomplished. In operation the rise of heat to a temperature such as 165 will snap the wafer like thermostat and cause it to actuate the contact arm of the switch, thus opening the burner circuit and closing the signal circuit and thereby alarm the occupants. When the heat is under control and approaches normal room temperature the wafer like thermostat can be manually snapped back to normal thus actuating the contact arm to close the burner circuit again and open the signal circuit.

I prefer to adjust my thermostat to reset itself at about zero'temperature in order to be sure that the danger of fire is completely over before the burner circuit is again energized. Of course during a fire the auditory signal can be stopped, if desired, by breaking the power circuit in the usual way with a suitable electric switch. In order for my device to again energize the burner circuit, a positive and deliberate action is necessary which involves the removing of the top panel and the inserting of a rod like instrument to push the wafer back to its normal position or the temperature must be about zero in the room.

The container box of my device is sheet material, such as aluminum, as is the lower front panel, covering the wire compartment, and the upper front panel with its integral transverse partition. Near the centre of the front of the container, I provide two oppositely disposed ears, ,to which the front panels can be attached by screws and over which a slot on opposite sides of the partition fits. The front panel with its delicate fixtures thus will not fall out when the fastening screws are removed, but must be removed by an upward sliding movement.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is an electrical diagram of my device.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional elevation showing the interlocking of the upper panel and partition with the projecting ears on my container.

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic side elevation in section through the centre of my device showing the parts exaggerated in size for clarity and Fig. 4 is a front elevation of my container with the lower panel removed entirely and the upper panel removed and reversed.

As shown in Fig. 1, B is a. space heating unit, such as an oil burner, including an electric motor,

not shown, and powered from a source of electric current such as transformer P. S is a single pole double throw electric switch having a contact arm I, held in the position shown by a wafer type thermostat T during predetermined normal temperatures and moved to the dotted line position by the thermostat at a predetermined high temperature.

In the normally closed circuit of my device current passes from the source of power P, through wires I! and I2, heating unit B, wire l3, contact arm I of switch S and wire M back to P, thus completing the burner circuit. During ordinary room temperatures, thi circuit. remains closed and the heating unit operates normally.

However, upon a rise of temperature to a predetermined point caused by a fire, thermostat T causes contact arm I to break this normal circuit and moves it to the dotted position thus closing a new circuit. In the new circuit current passes from source of power P through Wires l I and I5, auditory alarm H; wire I6, contact arm I of switch S, wire l4 and back to P completing the alarm circuit. The heating unit is thus stopped and the buzzer alarmris soundedso long as the temperature equals or exceeds'the predetermined point such' as 165. When the fire, is under control, and the temperatureof the room is reduced to about zero degrees, the thermostat T automatically returns contact arm I to its former position, quieting the alarm and reestablishing the circuit to the heating unit thus resetting the system to its usual condition. However, the burner circuit can also be manually re-energized,

.whenlthe user is satisfied'that the fire danger is over, by removing the upper panel and pressing a suitable instrument against the back of the wafer type thermostat, snapping it backto the normal position.

As shown in Figs. 3 and 4, I provide a con- Itainer A, of sheet material, having a back 2|],

side walls 2| and 22,'top 23, and bottom. Near the centre of the front of container A, are oppositely disposed ears 25 and 26 projecting toward the centre and fixed to side walls 2| and 22. Suitable openings 21 arev provided in thelower compartment of A for the admission. of electric wiresand suitable threadediholes 2B, 28 are providedfor the reception of screws 29 by which the two front panels 30 and3l are attached.

Panel .39 has mounted on the inside thereof an electric auditory signal H, of well known construction and comprising a clapper 40 and coils 4| which are energized by a circuit through wires l and I6. An annular flange 42 is fixed to 3!],

the center of which registers with perforations or louvers 45 in panel 30 and at the top centre of the flange is a threaded hole 44 to register with a hole 28 in top 23 of container A so that a screw 29 may be threadedly inserted in said holes.

A transverse partition 50, having upper horizontal portions 5| and 52, vertical side walls 53 and 54 and a bottom horizontal portion 55 are integral with panel 39 and form between the side walls 53 and 54 a cavity for the switch S and thermostat T. Suitable holes 5'! are provided in the partition 56 for admission of electric wires and slots 58 and 59 are provided in 5| and 52 to fit around the ears 25 and 26 of container A.

Panel 36 is thus placed in container A by inserting it, bottom partition foremost, to enable slots 58 and 59 to fit around ears 25 and 26 and. slide down until the top of the ears 25, 26 strike and rest against flange 42 as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4. The upper portion of panel 35 and the upper portion of annular flange 42 then register with top 23'. of A and screws 29 can be inserted and tightened in holes 28, 28.

As shown somewhat diagrammatically in Fig. 3, thermostat T comprises a metal wafer 10, to which member H is fixed, the latter being guided in hole 12 of a support 13. Contact arm I is carried by H and is of spring metal so that the movement of i6 and H will move 1 against contact point 14 of wire I3 or against contact point 15 of wire l6, depending on the temperature affecting the thermostat T.

I claim:

A container for combined safety and alarm apparatuscomprising a box; a removable panel covering theupper portion of said box, having a thermostatically operated switch and an electric auditory alarm mounted thereon and having a transverse partition adapted to divide said box into upper and lower separate compartments and a second removable panel covering the lower portion of said box, said upper panel having 0ppositely disposed slots and said box having oppositely disposed ears upon which said panel slots are slidable.

ANTHONY A. TORRISI.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,066,731 Jaynes July 8, 1913 1,883,248 Wilson Oct. 18, 1932* 1,969,968 Dever Aug. 14, 1934 2,446,794 Thornton Aug. 10, 1948 

